Diss U13s return to winning ways

In glorious December conditions the Diss boys took on their Hadleigh counterparts for the very first time. A magnificent match ensued with attack and counter-attack by both teams and with both sides trying to play true 15 man rugby.

An early run down the wing by Toby Drake saw him barged into touch but, following a successful lineout and quick rucking, Tyler Pursehouse burst over for the opening try (0-5). Diss consistently did well at the lineouts throughout the match, always attempting to catch the ball and the benefit of this was highlighted by their second try. Harry Williamson seized on a palm back by Hadleigh and when he was eventually stopped, Will Rapkin was on hand to feed Dom Bell-Tye for the second try; Aaron Frith converted (0-12). At this point Diss were disturbed from their position of control by a powerful run by Harry Redmore. He is strong and fast but some of the Diss defenders will be disappointed by their attempted tackles as he scored beneath the posts (7-12).

Diss extended their lead straight from the restart as an immaculate kick by Frith allowed Bell-Tye to pressure the catcher. A quick ruck saw Bell-Tye released on the wing and he raced over for his second try (7-17). Disappointingly, the good work was almost instantly undone, as poor tackling allowed Eddie Leroy to race through for Hadleigh and reduce the deficit to 14-17. The match continued in end-to-end fashion, only for a Hadleigh break-out from defence to be thwarted by Bell-Tye’s perfectly timed interception and race to the try line. Frith’s conversion bounced back off the crossbar to leave the score at halftime 14-22.

The second half continued in similar fashion, with Diss showing the better teamwork and continuity and Hadleigh always looking dangerous through the impressive Redmore. Indeed, it was his superb run midway through the second half that brought the scores to within one point (21-22). However, that was as close as it got; Diss were the dominant team in the final quarter of the match and after a prolonged spell of pressure and desperate defence, Williamson burst over from close range. Frith confidently added the conversion (FT 21-29).

All of the players can be proud of their contribution to a thrilling match. Frith’s kicking was the best seen by the Hadleigh coach all season and Bell-Tye’s first half hat-trick would normally have been enough to guarantee Player of the Day status. However, in a team littered with fine performances, Jack Elliott was dominant in the scrums and the returning Will Rapkin galvanised and organised the back line. They were selected by the coach as joint Players of the Day.